Senior Financial Aid Specialist

West Coast University; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

West Coast University seeks an experienced Financial Aid Specialist to support our campus with non-student-facing processing across assigned responsibilities. You will review files, approve awards, and manage state funds while collaborating with internal departments to resolve issues and complete multi-step processes.

The role emphasizes integrity, confidentiality, and timeliness as you mentor other specialists, participate in audits, and respond to executive inquiries.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years of financial aid experience.
• Minimum 7 years of campus support or customer service experience.
• Must not be in default on a federal student loan or owe repayment on a federal grant.

Responsibilities

• Conducting file reviews and ISIR reviews, approving awards and managing state funds.
• Monitoring processing times, mentoring other FA Specialists, and supporting audits and QA.
• Responding to inquiries from organizational leaders and compiling data for audits.
• Handling disbursement issues, refunds, and NSLDS reporting.

Skills

Financial aid processing

Customer service

Time management

Integrity & confidentiality

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Job description

Imagine a place where you can do the best work of your career! At West Coast University, you will play an essential role in higher education to support our institutions with multiple aspects of financial aid administration. You will complete non-student-facing processing for assigned responsibilities ensuring all processing is completed timely and accurately, all while working closely with various internal departments for resolution of issues and completion of multi-step processes. We are proud that West Coast University has been certified as a Great Place to Work for the fourth year in a row! We are over 110 years in education and still growing. Come work and grow with us!

You will make an impact by:

• Conducting file reviews, ISIR reviews, approving financial aid awards, managing state-based funds such as Cal Grant, completing tuition obligation and R2T4 calculations, processing stipends, monitoring and resolving Title IV credit balances, processing refunds, NSLDS reporting, import/export file processing, resolving disbursement and origination errors, evaluating and approving institutional aid, SEOG and private loan batches, and completing various reports as directed.
• Supporting the leader to monitor and prioritize work during busy processing times, delegating work activities at the direction of the manager or in their absence, assisting in the maintenance of the policy and procedure guides, evaluating complex file reviews beyond the skills of other specialists, completing file review preparation for annual audits, quality assurance, systems testing and training, and mentoring other FA Specialists.
• Respond to inquiries from organizational leaders on behalf of their manager.
• Compile data for audits and required reporting, research new or unusual student account issues, monitor and process SSCRs, and manage uncashed checks.

Your experience includes:

• Minimum 7 years of financial aid experience required.
• Minimum 7 years of campus support or customer service experience required.
• May not be in default on a federal student loan or owe repayment on a federal grant.
• Demonstrates highest level of integrity, professional ethics, and confidentiality in all interactions.
• Strong time management skills with the ability to meet strict deadlines and complete work on time.
• Strong customer service skills.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited College or University is preferred.
• Experienced candidates will be considered without a degree provided they have more than ten (10) years of financial aid experience and a combination of experience and education comparable to a Bachelor’s degree.

Do you want a career that allows you to make a difference in other people’s lives? Discover what it means to truly believe in the work that you do at West Coast University.

At West Coast University, we have the privilege of educating students seeking careers in healthcare and guide them through their transformational journey from student to caregiver. Our associates are united behind that purpose and share a deep commitment to our values of teamwork, collegiality, transparency, and a student-centric approach to all we do. This focus creates an aligned, nimble, and consensus-driven culture that is solution-oriented and supports our associates’ professional growth.

West Coast University is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all associates.